Seasonal Affective Disorder: Using Light Therapy

Introduction

Bright light therapy is an effective
treatment for
seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The most common light therapy uses a special type of light, called a light box. This is much brighter than a lamp or other light
fixture in your home.

Light therapy is easy
and safe. It has few side effects and can be done at home.

People
who have eye problems or who take medicines that cause sensitivity to light should
not use light therapy without first consulting a doctor.

How is light therapy done?

Place the light box on a desk or table, and sit in front of it at the specified distance. You can do this while you read, eat breakfast, or work at a computer. The light should reach your eyes, but don't stare at the light box.

Light therapy is usually prescribed for 30 minutes to 2 hours a day, depending on the intensity of the light used and on whether you are starting out or have been using it for a while.

Most light therapy is
prescribed at 10,000 lux to be used in the early morning.
Studies vary as to whether light therapy at other times of the day is less
effective. But some people with SAD (perhaps those who wake up normally in the
early morning) should do their light therapy for 1 to 2 hours in the evening,
ending 1 hour before bedtime. Your
doctor can help you decide which light exposure schedule will work best for
you.

Light therapy is
usually started in the fall and continued through spring.

When you begin light therapy, your first response will show you
whether you need to adjust the intensity or duration. Many people respond to
light therapy within 3 to 5 days. If you don't respond to treatment within the first week, you
may notice improvement in the second week.

The most common side
effects of light therapy include headache, eye strain, and nausea. You may be
tired during the first week because of changes in your sleep-wake patterns, but
this will usually go away after about a week.

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